Kibbee Nayee

It is what it is. Had lunch there today with my three young-uns, ages 15 (girl), 14 (boy) and 9 (boy). Daughter had waffles, 14 year old had two perfect sunny-side-up eggs with sides of two pork chops and home fries, and 9 year old had his standard grilled cheese sandwich, which he declared the best he's ever had. All three had chocolate shakes, each of which filled the glass twice and didn't have the corn syrup that McDonald's shakes are loaded with. I had a club sandwich followed by an egg-ham-cheese sandwich. All of us were satisfied and full, and the bill was $39 and change. This is not haute cuisine. This is fill-the-belly-with-heartiness and a touch of history and America. If you set foot in a McDonald's or Burger King anywhere within 10 miles of this place, then shame on you. Worse, if you set foot in a Silver Diner anywhere within 100 miles of this place, please terminate your access to this site.

This is an incredible coincidence, but at a recent baseball game for my 9-year-old son's Little League in Lorton, I saw a Virginia vanity plate with "Ten Penh" .... come to find out that Chef Tunks' son plays on my son's team. I missed a conversation with Mrs. Tunks in which the team parents were told all about the behind the scenes at PassionFish and the sushi chef that was hired especially for the restaurant. Will definitely circle back, and I'm now really, really looking forward to the team party. I'm lunching at PassionFish on this coming Tuesday and already salivating about the gumbo and dragon roll....

OK, I'll have to put it on my go-to list. That sucks, in a way, because across the street is Sampan and Mediterranean Gourmet Market, two of may absolute faves....! I wonder if a progressive meal of mezze, followed by pad kee mau (drunken noodles), followed by black pepper beef, would be a bit too much...?

About a month ago, I had the osso bucco at Zeffirelli's in Herndon. The dish was unbelievably good, and the meat was fall-off-the-bone juicy and tender. But the capstone of this excellent dish was digging the marrow out and schmearing it on the warm bread that accompanied the meal. Wow.

After enjoying the elbow-to-elbow Taste of Arlington this afternoon, girlfriend and I headed to Present for a walk through the starters menu to top off our over-full tummies. We began with the $75 bottle of Jordan Chardonnay. Since most other restaurants carry it for at least $100, it seemed like a good deal. Then we had the starters starters of Green Paradise Spring Roll and Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll. Two of the best examples of these rolls I have ever enjoyed, anywhere. Then came the next starters of Treasures from the Sea -- a seafood salad with shrimp, scallops and squid on a bed of pineapple -- followed by the Smokey Petal -- baby clams and herbs on a puffy sesame rice cracker. This latter is an incredible dish that my girlfriend called her death row meal. It is quite a bit better than the version served at the 3-star Four Sisters. Which leads me to the interesting conclusion. The waiter mentioned that Tom Sietsema and his many friends (as many as 11 of them?) had been there in the previous weeks, and another poster on this thread indicated that the Present review will be next week. Given that Tom has already awarded 3 stars to Four Sisters, what do we think he will give to Present? My guess is 3 stars.

OK, I did it. But I am way too stuffed from Taste of Arlington followed by a quick run through Lebanese Butcher followed by a full sit-down run through the starters list at Present, so I must take a break from the upright position and ponder the rest of the evening before figuring out what I just did...

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Ah c'mon, people! Da Domenico was a great place for Italian cuisine over the past decade or so, very popular with the expense accounts of the IT industry. The veal chop was absolutely superb -- true man-food. But it merged with Zeffirelli's of Herndon a few years ago, and the chef went to Herndon. The veal chop and osso bucco at Zeffirelli's are to-die-for good. I ate the marrow out of the osso bucco and went to heaven. Da Domenico's is still pretty good, but Zeffirelli's is its big brother now.

Gotta report that Asia Fiesta was very good. Probably about a dozen or so food stands, with a nice assortment of mostly Thai food, but very good. Had the meatball skewers from Laos too. It was the first-time I ever tasted the char-grilled Thai sausage. Pad Thai was all over the place. Some cooking demonstrations, lots of martial arts demonstrations, and mediocre live music. Beer was served at the Singha beer garden in front of the live music. It was an enjoyable event, but why can't we have something like this every weekend in such an ethnically diverse area as ours? In New York, ethnic food carts surround the soccer fields every weekend.

I have two candidates worthy of note. On Franconia Road, about halfway between Springfield Mall and Van Dorn, there's a little strip mall with Sampan Cafe and Mediterranean Gourmet Market. Both are on top of their respective cuisines -- I happen to think that Mediterranean Gourmet Market is the best Middle Eastern food in northern Virginia. At the other end is a pizza and sub shop owned by Iraqis that is considered top notch. Then there's Brookfield Plaza on Backlick, which has some of the best eats in Springfield. In Brookfield Plaza there's Chutney, Sahm Oh Jong, La Hacienda, Bombay Buffet, Spring Garden and (drum roll) Tippy's Tacos! Across Backlick Road in another strip mall is Le Beldo Bakery and Tokyo Inn, just half a block up from Delia's. Farther up Backlick about a quarter of a mile is the original Five Guys, right across from Aabshaar, which is the best Pakistani food in the area. I can parachute into this area with $25 in my pocket and eat like a king all day long.

I have tickets for Taste on Arlington on Sunday May 17th, and you'll definitely find me at the Me Jana and Jackson's tables. I'll also be at the Asia Fiesta downtown in Penn Quarter all afternoon tomorrow, May 16th. Should be a caloric weekend.

I used to work at Virginia Square in the mid-90s, and all we really had for lunch was the sandwich counter on the first floor of our building. With Jackson's and El Pollo Rico within walking distance, if I worked there now I would weight 50lbs more than I already do!

Went to the Sports Bar tonight. As always, good wings and half price appetizers during happy hour. But you guys don't get it. This street has the best eye candy in the entire metropolitan area. If you're looking for good food, go elsewhere, but if you're looking for neck-snapping eye appeal, this is definitely the street you want to enjoy an al fresco experience.

That was Alex Rodriguez, who, among Yankee aficionados, is known as the anti-Jeter.

Thankfully, I've never set foot in the place. But as a Yankee fan, I remember reading somewhere that Derek Jeter considers CF his favorite restaurant. Derek Jeter makes about $30 million a year, all told. He dates supermodels. Not just any supermodels, but like Miss Brazil or Jessica Biel. He can afford to close down Le Bernardin or French Laundry for a night, every night. And he likes Cheesecake Factory? That would be like Anthony Bourdain eating tuna out of the can every night.

Uh....yum! That sounds like a treat that would cap off a night of fine carousing. Thanks for the menu suggestion, Don. And oh, by the way, the next day, when this concoction works its way through the digestive track and comes out the other end, it will still be better than anything on the menu at Austin Grill.

I can report without equivocation that the Springfield location is a hell hole of vile and inedible effluvium. You can get a better meal at Tippy's Tacos.

I've always been underwhelmed by the food at these places, to the point where they are all redundant (short smoked salmon anyone?) and it's difficult to find something worth eating on the menu. I've been to at least six of them, they are almost always crowded and overly noisy, and finding something to eat other than short smoked salmon on cloyingly sweet salad or too salty drunken ribeye is difficult. I once tried the pork chops at Silverado, thinking they would be a nice change of pace, and they were cooked to an inedible dryness. At least at Clyde's, most of the entrees have different sides carefully matched with the entree. Not at GAR....

Headed here today in search of the Cuban mentioned by OP. Too bad, it's not on the menu -- it's a special. They don't roast the pork every day. The manager behind the counter thinks he will do pork on Friday this week, and the Cuban will be offered. But what I saw was luscious -- real slabs of roasted ham, turkey and roast beef, looking juicy and tender, and with nice whisps of steam coming off of them. A nice meatloaf was sitting next to them on the cutting board too. I ordered the club, which was turkey and ham and bacon, with my choices of toppings. I had the LTO with pepper jack and chipotle sauce, along with sliced banana peppers. The sub roll was fresh. This was a knockout sandwich for $8.50. I'll probably be back for a Cuban. Problem is, the few times I'm in the Virginia Square area for lunch, El Pollo Rico is too close.

Not be pandering in any way, but this was one of the best and most entertaining posts I've read in a long time. Thanks, I needed that....!

Have not yet been there myself but it's on my list. Your assessment tracks with the endorsements my Philly phoodie phriends have given it. I'll meet you there sometime soon!

Had the bulgogi and the meat dumplings today at the Merrifield H Mart. Also had the roasted squid with seaweed. Pretty outstanding feast for under $20. If you want a drink, they point to the vending machine with $1 bottles of Coke products. Across the back isle is some first-rate Korean sushi and sashimi to go. The large tub of sashimi was $19.99 and it looked as good and as fresh as anything I've seen at the Korean sushi restaurants in northern Virginia. Maybe the mark of this place's quality and attraction was the guy I sat down next to at the counter. He was formerly in the Navy and stationed in Japan and Korea. He lives in DC and comes out here every weekend for his Saturday lunch. From our conversation, he knows his stuff and he likes this place a lot. Both this guy and another knowledgeable person on the other side of me raved about a spicy seafood soup that can be had here, but at very few other places for whatever reason. Anyone know what this dish is? A quick tiptoe through Wikipedia indicates it might be Maeuntang, and if so, any experts on Korean food care to comment?

SE corner of Vermont and I St.? Are you with the VA? That corner has Loeb's if I'm not mistaken. That may be the closest thing to a NY Deli in the District.

Easy. Washington is not a sandwich heaven, like New York. But you can't go wrong at my three faves -- Loeb's at 15th and I Sts. is close to a Jewish deli. Breadline between 17th or 18th and Pennsylvania is Washington's take on a decent sandwich, and isn't bad for local standards. In the suburbs, the Italian Store on Lee Highway in Arlington is darned close to a New Jersey hoagie shop. But, true to my moniker, if you want a real sandwich, the shwarmas at Mediterranean Gourmet Market on Franconia Road or the Lebanese Butcher in Falls Church are incredible. I'm still waiting to find a Cuban sandwich that compares to some of the incredible delights I've had at gas stations in Tampa....

Had lunch there today, and this place is easily the best eating establishment in the otherwise mediocre Reston Town Center. In fact, it's easily in my top three in Reston-Herndon with Zeffirrelli and El Manantial. Having eaten barely edible Greek last night at Taverna Cretekou, I was still feeling that brick-in-the-stomach effect that comes from overly caloric and barely pleasant food, so my appetite wasn't what it should have been. The 'amouse' came out first -- Smoked Great Lakes Whitefish Rillettes. Wow. What a gift from the chef. I recall the Anthony Bourdain Chicago episode where the fish was being smoked, and now I tasted it. Delicious, even though the accompanying croutons were quite hard. Checkmark in the positive box, nonetheless. Thereafter, a companion and I started with bowls of the Louisiana Seafood Gumbo and the Corn and Crab Chowder. No complaints at all. Not spectacular, but certainly worth ordering again in both cases. Checkmark in the positive box here. Next we moved to the sushi rolls. The Spider roll and the Kamikaze roll were absolutely superb. I love the sushi at Yoko in Herndon and Mikaku Sushi Taro in McLearen Square, but whenever I'm within 10 miles of PassionFish, that's where I'm going for sushi, at least the rolls, from now on. The flavors and textures were spot-on. Move over, Kaz! Many checkmarks in that positive box here. OK, so now I'm stuffed to the gills, but I couldn't resist a main course of fish tacos, and my friend had the miso salmon. Wow. The last time I had fish so perfectly fried was at Eammon's in Old Town. The accompanying salsa and guacamole were actually good, and a bite of the miso salmon was a pleasant treat. Many more checkmarks in the positive box here too. Forgot to mention the fixed price lunch for $15! Maybe the best lunch deal in northern Virginia. You get a cup of the chowder, or gumbo, or seafood tortilla soup, followed by the catch of the day (mahi mahi today), accompanied with salad greens. Not a bad deal. I might not eat again for a few days (OK, not true), but I know that I found the only true destination restaurant in the chain-dominated Reston Town Center.